Collapsible platform for printing and other apparatus



Jan. 5, 1943. J. SINKOVITZ 2,307,079

COLLAPSIBLE PLATFORM FOR PRINTING AND OTHER APPARATUS Filed Aug. 9, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Josep/{Sinxorifz Jan. 5, 1943. J. SINKOVITZ COLLAPSIBLE PLATFORM FOR PRINTING AND OTHER ARPARATUS Filed Aug. 9, 1941 2 Sheets Shet 2 N m5 -N NM N %N w M a. I17 51/44 z QN K 1. \HMMHHIFIIHP HPJHWWHHHR n. |.l| -ll W|NI RUM K WN HNWMWNINQ Ar, Ill wN v mm \N an N R RN mm mn mm \N R N u m mwnw w m w %m mm mm Mm. R QM L I1l\ N u a fl Q m F V mm en H E n .m. 22:. .k F Q E J QM. H. J .H. NNI b 1 MN MN 7 m mflq N v RN RN I lllll i my ,1, u 2 r w A 7//%// 1 74 I? QN QM. mm. W

Patented Jan. 5, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COLLAPSIBLE PLATFORM FOR PRINTING AND OTHER APPARATUS 20 Claims. (Cl. 271-61) This invention relates to a collapsible platform for printing and other apparatus. It relates primarily to a platform adapted to assume an operative position and to be collapsed or disposed in a relatively small space when not in use. The platform is especially adaptable for use with machine sections such, for example; as portions of printing or like apparatus which are relatively movable to operative and inoperative positions with respect to each other. The platform is preferably arranged so that when the machine sections move to relatively inoperative position the platform will assume operative position so that it can be used in working on the machine sections or for other purposes and so that when the machine sections move back to relatively operative position the platform will collapse or fold up and be disposed in comparatively compact form in an out of the way place.

The invention will be described as embodied in printing apparatus as it has been found to have particular utility when so embodied. It is to be understood, however, that in its broadest aspects the invention is otherwise widely applicable. I have applied the invention to printing apparatus comprising a press or printing couple and sheet handling means adapted to cooperate with the press or printing couple to handle sheets relatively thereto, the sheet handling means and the press or printing couple being movable to relatively operative and tively inoperative positions. In the structure selected for the purpose of explanation and illustration and shown in the drawings there is a printing couple in the form of a fiat bed and cylinder press and a sheet feeder for feeding sheets to the press,'the feeder being of the so-called rollaway type which is bodily movable substantially rectilinearly relatively to the press toward and from cooperative relationship with respect thereto. moved toward and from the press upon rails or other supporting and guiding means disposed on the press room floor. When the feeder is moved away from the press workmen may enter the space between the feeder and the press to work on one or both thereof. The rails upon which the feeder moves and also the feeder moving means, which may, for example, be in the form of a screw extending between the press and the feeder, present obstacles to the workmen andthere is danger that the workmen may trip or stumble over such obstacles and cause injury to themselves or damage to the apparatus.

It has been proposed to provide a platform.

The feeder may, for example, be

adapted to be disposed in the press room adjacent the printing apparatus during operation of the latter and which may be picked up and laid in place between the feeder and press when the feeder is moved out to inoperative position. However, the use of such a platform is not feasible since it is unwieldy and difficult to handle and the workmen do not like to take the trouble to use it. Moreover, if such a platform is left between the feeder and press when the feeder is moved back toward the press damage to the apparatus may result. As a consequence it has not been customary to use any platform or other protective means between the feeder and press when work is being done thereon at times when the feeder is moved out to inoperative position and the workmen frequently stumble over the parts lying near or projecting upwardly from the floor between the feeder and press.

I provide for obviating all of the disadvantages above mentioned by disposing a platform between the feeder and press which when the feeder moves away from the press automatically assumes operative position and which folds up or collapses when the feeder moves back toward the press. The platform preferably overlies the means extending between the feeder and press near the floor intermediate the rails upon which the feeder moves in and out and is preferably disposed at an elevation approximately as high as the tops of such rails so that the workman in stepping intothe space between the feeder and press steps over the nearer rail and onto the platform without any danger of stumbling or catching his toe on the edge of the platform. It is found that workmen can readily become accustomed to use of the platform and that it greatly facilitates work between the feeder and press and results in diminution of accidents involving injury to workmen or damage to the apparatus.

Preferably the platform comprises sections which are hinged together, although the sections may be otherwise connected together or in certain situations may be disconnected from each other. I preferably provide means movable transversely of the platform to initiate collapsing or folding of the platform, such means when employed in connection with a hinged platform structure initiating the folding of adjacent platform sections at their hinged connection. The platform is preferably mounted on a support extending between the press and feeder, which support in the structure illustrated moves with the feeder.

Other details, objects and advantages of the Figure 2 is a fragmentary plan view with portions in horizontal cross section showing the feeder moved out from the press and with the platform in operative position;

Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal cross-sectional view taken on the line IIIIII of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a vertical transverse cross-sectional view to enlarged scale taken on the line IV-IV of Figure 2; and

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the operation of the means for initiating folding of the platform sections,

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, reference numeral 2 designates generally a printing or like press of the flat bed and cylinder type. The cylinder is shown at 3, being mounted in supporting means comprising opposed side frames 4. The press structure per se forms no part of the present invention and is not shown in detail. 7

Reference numeral 5 designates generally a feeder for feeding sheets to the press 2, the feeder comprising the usual means for raising a pile of sheets to the feeding point and feeding sheets one by one to the press cylinder. The feeder,

comprises an inclined feed board 6 shown in Figure 1 in cooperative relationship with respect to the press. The feeder is movable toward and from the press upon rails I. The structure of the feeder and the means for moving it toward and from the press do not per se constitute the present invention, so they are not shown in detail. The feeder and the means for moving and guiding it into and out of cooperative relationship with respect to the press may, for example, be as shown in copending application Serial No. 395,- 137, filed May 26, 1941.

Means are provided for moving the feeder toward and from the press comprising a screw 8 and cooperating mechanism operated by a motor 9. The screw 8 lies near the floor substantially centrally between the opposed rails I. The motor 9 is mounted on a portion ll] of the press frame. Also connected with the press frame adjacent each side thereof by bolts I is a shoe I2 shown in end elevation in Figure 4 and which has a substantially flat bottom surface |3 from which projects a downwardly pointed projection I4 extending longitudinally of the shoe. Each of the shoes |2 has laterally projecting ears I5 through which the respective bolts I I extend loosely as shown in Figure 4. A nut I 6 is applied to each of the bolts II above the shoe and a compression coil spring I1 is interposed between the shoe and each of such nuts. Thus each of the shoes I2 is maintained resiliently against upward movement relatively to the press frame.

Adjacent each side of the apparatus and substantially in longitudinal alignment with one of the shoes I2 is a plate I8 which lies upon a portion I9 of the feeder frame. Each plate has longitudinal slots 20 thereth'rough and screws 2| pass through such slots and enter the feeder frame portion I9. The plates l8 are not positioned fixedly with respect to the feeder frame by the screws 2| but have movement relatively to the feeder frame within the limits of the slots 20. Fastened to each of the plates I9 between the slots 20 thereof is a bar 22 which extends longitudinally of the apparatus and between the bolts II and beneath the shoe I2 in alignment therewith as shown in Figure 4. Each bar 22 may be welded or otherwise fixedly connected with the corresponding plate I8.

Each bar 22 carries a plurality of headed pins 23 which project from one vertical face of the bar and are maintained in fixed position by set screws 24. A cam member 25 provided with a plurality of inclined slots 26 lies alongside the bar 22 with the pins 23 extending through the slots 26 so that the cam member 25 is slidable relatively to the bar 22 within the limits of the slots 26. The cam member 25 has three upwardly projecting cam portions 2'! as shown in Figures 1 and 3. The

feeder frame has an abutment portion 28 against which the right-hand ends of the respective cam members 25, viewing Figures 1, 2 and 3, are adapted to lie at all times.

I provide a collapsible platform designated generally by reference numeral 29. which comprises a plurality of sections 36, 3|, 32, 33, 34, 35 and 36, respectively. When the platform 29 is in operative position as shown in Figures 2 and 3 its sections lie in side-by-side relationship resting upon the respective bars 22. The platform section 39 is hinged to a portion of the press frame at 37 so that it may swing in the counterclockwise direction about the axis of the hinge from the position shown in Figure 3. The sections 35] and 3| are hinged together by a hinge 33 disposed therebelow as shown in Figure 3, and the sections 32 and 33 and the sections 34 and 35 are similarly hinged together. The sections 3| and 32 are hinged together by a hinge 39 disposed thereabove as shown in Figure 3 and the sections33 and 34 and the sections 35 and 36 are similarly hinged together. Thus the sections of theplatform are connected together in accordion fashion so that the platform may be collapsed into the position shown in Figure l. The only fixed connection which the platform has with the apparatus is at the hinge 31 where the section 39 is hingedly connected to the press frame. Aside from this connection the platform simply lies loosely upon the opposed bars 22. Each of such bars has limited movement relatively to the feeder because of the provision of the slots 23 in the respective plates I8 which receive the screws 2| which are screwed into the portion I9 of the feeder frame. Also each of the bars is adapted to ride upon a portion 40 on the press frame underlying the corresponding shoe I2 which frictionally engages the bar, the degree of friction being determined by the amount of compression of the coil springs I'I. Each of the cams 21 when the parts are positioned as shown in Figure 3 is disposed below and adjacent a joint between platform sections which are hinged from below. Each bar 22 has a longitudinal V-shaped groove 52 in its upper surface receiving the projection M of the corresponding shoe |2.

The operation of the apparatus above described is as follows. When the feeder has been moved away from the press'the parts are in the position shown in Figures 2 and 3. The right-hand ends of the cam members 25 engage the abutment portion 28 of the feeder frame but the righthand ends of the bars 22 are spaced from the portion 28 by about the length of the slots 2i! in the plates 8 to which the bars '22 are fixed. The motor 9 is operated to draw the feeder 'toward the press. Upon initiation of the movement of the feeder toward the press the abutment portion "28 of the feeder, which is in engagement with the right-hand ends of the cam members 25, moves such cam members towards the left, such movement being accompanied by upward inclined movement of the cam members since they will ride upon the pins 23 in the bars 22. 3.;

Thus initially each of the cams 27 engages the platform 29 adjacent one of the joints at which the platform sections are hinged together at the bottom and such cams 2] break the joints between the platform sections as indicated in Figure 5, thereby initiating the collapsing of the platform. As the feeder moves toward the left viewing Figure 3 the screws 2| move freely within the slots 22, the shoes l2 exerting sufficient frictional pressure upon the bars 22 to hold them stationary. When, however, the abutment 'portion 28 engages the right-hand ends of the bars 22 such bars are pushed bodily toward the left by the portion 23 and they slide frictionally under the shoes l2. members 25 are in their uppermost positions with the cams 2? occupying the positions indicated by chain lines in Figure .5, thus insuring that upon continued movement of the feeder toward the press the platform 29 will collapse and.

will not be damaged.

As the feeder continues its movement toward the press the abutment portion 28 will engage the right-hand edge of the platform section 36 viewing Figures 1, 2 and 3 and further movement of the feeder will result in collapsing or folding up of the platform until the feeder reaches cooperative relationship with respect to the press as shown in Figure 1, when the motor 9 is stopped and the parts are in the position shown in such figure. Slots 4| are provided in the edges of the platform sections 31, 32, 33 and 34, as shown in Figure 2, to obviate interference of the cams 21 with the folding up of the platform. During the folding up movement the cams 2? pass freely through the slots 41.

When the feeder moves out away from the press the frictionalengagement of the shoes 12 upon the bars 22 maintains such bars stationary during the initial outward movement of the feeder until the screws 2| reach the right-hand ends of the slots 20, viewing Figures 2 and 3, whereafter the bars 22 are moved with the feeder. However. during the-time when the feeder first moves while the bars 22 remain stationary the cam members 25 move downwardly and toward the right, viewing Figure 3, by gravity until the Y cams 2! assume the positions indicated by dotted lines in Figure 5. The feeder continues its out- During such movement the cam I'll tion is simple and foolproof.

ployed for the fabrication thereof, andits opera- The platform affords great convenience to workmen working on the press and feeder when the feeder is in inoperative position away from the press. The cam members 25 insure initiating of the collapsing action of the platform whereby to insure proper operation thereof and avoidance of damage thereto. Injury to workmen by reason of their stumbling over the screw 8 or other portions of the apparatus disposed between the feeder and press on or adjacent the floor when the feeder is moved out is obviated. There is no danger of damage to any of the parts by reason of interposition of the platform between the feeder and press since it must fold up when the feeder moves in to operative position and space is provided between the feeder and press frames for the collapsed platform when the feeder is in its operative position adjacent the press.

While I have shown and described a present preferred embodiment of the invention it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not limited thereto but may be otherwise variously embodied within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A collapsible platform comprising a plurality of platform sections and means connecting the sections together whereby when the platform is not in use the sections may be moved relatively to one another to compactly arrange the platform so that it may be conveniently arranged in an out of the way position and means for so relatively moving the sections.

2. A platform comprising a plurality of sections hinged to one another in accordion fashion so that the platform is collapsible when not in use and means for collapsing the platform,

3. A platform comprising sections hinged together at adjacent edges thereof and means adapted to raise said edges when the platform is to be rendered inoperative to facilitate'folding of said sections together.

4. A platform comprising sections hinged together at adjacent edges thereof, means for pushing said sections together to collapse the platform and means acting transversely of the platform to initiate folding together of adjacent sections.

5. A platform comprising a support, platform sections adapted to rest on said support in generally edge-to-edge relation when the platform is in operative position, means for pushing said sections together to collapse the platform when it is to be rendered inoperative and means acting transversely of said first mentioned means to facilitate turning at least certain of the sections into positions generally transverse of their operative positions upon collapsing of the platform.

6. A platform comprising a support, platform sections adapted to rest on said support in generally edge-to-edge relation when the platform is in operative position and means acting on said sections both generally parallel to said support and generally transversely thereof for collapsing the platform. H

7. Machine sections normally adjacently positioned for cooperative operation but separatable to permit a workman to stand there'between to work thereon, a support extending between "said sections when separated and a platform for the workman resting upon said support when said sections are separated and collapsible when said sections are moved back to normal position.

8. Machine sections normally adjacently positioned for cooperative operation but separatable to permit a workman to stand therebetween to i work thereon, a support extending between said normal position.

9. Machine sections normally adjacently positioned for cooperative operation but separatable to permit a workman to stand therebetween to work thereon, a support extending between said sections when separated, a platform for the workman resting upon said support when said sections are separated, said platform including portions hinged together, and means acting on said platform portions both generally parallel to said support and generally transversely thereof for collapsing the platform when said sections are moved back to normal position.

10. A platform comprising a support, platform sections adapted to rest on said support, means for collapsing the platform and means connected with the support movable generally upwardly relatively thereto during collapsing of the platform to engage one or more of the platform sections to facilitate collapsing of the platform.

11. A platform comprising a stop and a support relatively movable generally parallel to the support, an abutment having an operative position stationary relatively to the support and platform sections adapted to rest on the support, the sections being engaged by the stop and the abutment upon relative movement between the stop and the support whereby the platform is co]- lapsed.

12. A platform comprising a stop and a support relatively movable generally parallel to the support, an abutment having an operative position stationary relatively to the support and a hinged platform adapted to rest on the support, the platform being engaged by the stop and the abutment upon relative movement between the stop and the support to fold the platform.

13. A platform comprising a stop and a support relatively movable generally parallel to the support, an abutment having an operative position stationary relatively to the support, a hinged platform adapted to rest on the support, the platform being engaged by the stop and the abutment upon relative movement between the stop and the support to fold the platform, and means movable transversely of the support engaging the platform to facilitate said folding.

14. A platform comprising sections relatively arranged so that the platform is collapsible, relatively movable means for collapsing the platform a cam bar connected with the support and slidable generally vertically relatively thereto, a stop engaging the platform and means moving the support relatively to the stop and also engaging the platform to collapse the platform and also engaging the cam bar to slide it relatively to the support to engage certain of the hinged platform sections to assist in collapsing the platform.

17. Printing or like apparatus comprising a press and sheet handling means movable toward and from cooperative relationship with the press, a support extending between the press and sheet handling means when the sheet handling means is away from the press and a platform adapted to rest on said support when the sheet handling means is away from the press and collapsible upon movement of the sheet handling means toward the press.

18. Printing or like apparatus comprising a press and a sheet feeder normally positioned adjacent the press to feed sheets thereto, the feeder being movable away from the press to permit a workman to stand between the feeder and press to work thereon, a support extending between the feeder and press when the feeder is away from the press and a platform for the workman resting upon said support when the feeder is away from the press and collapsible when the feeder is moved to its normal position adjacent the press.

19. Printing or like apparatus comprising supporting means, a couple carried by the supporting means for acting on sheets, sheet handling means for handling sheets relatively to the couple, the supporting means and sheet handling means being relatively movable toward and from cooperative position, and a collapsible platform connected with one of the supporting means and sheet handling means and adapted to assume operative position generally between the supporting means and sheet handling means when said re- 1 spective means are relatively moved away from cooperative position, the other of said means having an abutment portion movable therewith adapted to engage the platform to collapse the same when said respective means are relatively moved toward cooperative position.

20. Printing or like apparatus comprising supporting means, a couple carried by the supporting means for acting on sheets, sheet handling means for handling sheets relatively to the couple, the supporting means and sheet handling means being relatively movable toward and from cooperative position, a platform comprising hingedly connected sections connected with one of the supporting means and sheet handling means and'adapted to assume unfolded operative position when said respective means are relatively moved away from cooperative position, the other of said means having an abutment portion movable therewith adapted to engage the platform to move the same to folded inoperative position when said respective means are relatively moved toward cooperative position, and means to initiate folding of the platform when said respective means are relatively moved toward cooperative position.

JOSEPH SINKOVITZ. 

